Twitter reacts to Penn State basketball’s last-second victory over Maryland
Penn State men’s basketball sure knows how to end the regular season with a flair for drama. Down by double-digits in the second half against a top-25 Maryland, the Nittany Lions crawled out of the hole and scored a last-second victory that gave a tremendous boost to their NCAA tournament hopes as they now prepare to head to the Big Ten tournament.
Camren Wynter’s game-winning offensive rebound and basketball off a missed three-pointer from Seth Lundy gave Penn State a 65-64 victory over Maryland that some are saying arguably could be the biggest win of the past decade for the program. And who are we to disagree?
Here are some of the best Twitter reactions following Penn State’s monster win against the Terrapins from Sunday afternoon.
Let's just watch the key moments form the final minute one more time
Late lead for @PennStateMBB❕ pic.twitter.com/HrwnrfxcZ6
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 5, 2023
CAM WYNTER WITH THE WINNER FOR @PennStateMBB❕❕❕ pic.twitter.com/Y0LVV4Aigc
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 5, 2023
PENN STATE WITH THE HUGE COMEBACK WIN. 😱@PennStateMBB x @GoPSUsports pic.twitter.com/AYEoJlX8mN
— Penn State On BTN (@PennStateOnBTN) March 5, 2023
These three highlights deserve to be shared together as it shows Camren Wynter giving Penn State a late lead to officially dig out of its second-half hole, Wynter’s game-winner underneath the basket, and the final ticks of the clock as Maryland attempted to inbound the ball for one final shot, only to be intercepted.
Over? Nothing's over until we say it is!
🗣️NEVER COUNT THE LIONS OUT #WeAre pic.twitter.com/maHjMIWXeN
— Penn State Men’s Basketball (@PennStateMBB) March 5, 2023
If there is nothing else to be said about Penn State, it is that they should not be counted out until the clock hits zero. Penn State has enough talent to hang around and make some runs, and if the three-point shooting is locked in, the Nittany Lions can never be counted out.
Penn State with another quality win.
The Nittany Lions with a massive week.
Trending towards an at-large. https://t.co/lDRVFKptux
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 5, 2023
You could not ask for a better way to close out the regular season for Penn State with wins against two tournament-bound teams in Maryland and Northwestern. It helps to ease the pain of a late collapse against Rutgers but Penn State is back toward being in line for a spot in the tournament. But there is still work to be done in the Big Ten tournament.
Jalen Pickett signs autographs & leaves the Bryce Jordan Center court for the final time with Penn State pic.twitter.com/tSympKkWoY
— Daniel Gallen (@danieljtgallen) March 5, 2023
If Penn State gets into the NCAA Tournament, then this will have been the final game Jalen Pickett will play in the Bryce Jordan Center. A trip to the NIT could lead to a return to this court, but Pickett and the rest of the Nittany Lions sure do hope this was the last game they play in this arena this season.
How does @JalenPickett7 hit shots like these? 😱@GoPSUsports x @PennStateMBB pic.twitter.com/ggzwKy5kgl
— Penn State On BTN (@PennStateOnBTN) March 5, 2023
It was very early in the game, but Jalen Pickett added another highlight to his reel for All-American consideration.
PENN STATE AT THE BUZZER pic.twitter.com/qGiIbZPPGC
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) March 5, 2023
Here’s a great crowd shot of the game-winning bucket from Camren Wynter. You can feel the tension through the lens of this video as the crowd watches on hoping for a good result. The silence as Jalen Pickett dribbles looking for an outlet to the hands going up as Seth Lundy attempts his three-point shot to the eruption of the crowd as the ball comes through the net, this is art.
Biggest Penn State basketball win in more than a decade. Watch. pic.twitter.com/Zu4JzQMPAG
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) March 5, 2023
It’s hard to argue with this thought that this was the biggest win for the program in over a decade. The 2019-2020 season had some good wins along the way for what seemed destined to be a trip to the NCAA Tournament before the sports world shut things down, but with so much at stake in this particular moment, and to rise up with the effort it did, Penn State arguably won its biggest game in a very long time. How many more are there to be enjoyed?
Over the course of Penn State basketball history, that rebound NEVER finds Wynter. So to win a game of this magnitude on a play like that might be some kind of sports miracle.
What a week for this program. Special stuff pic.twitter.com/iq2ISZXWG7
— Caleb Wilfinger (@caleb_wilfinger) March 5, 2023
Penn State basketball fans have seen this script far too many times before, but this tweet sums things up pretty perfectly. In years past, Penn State would not be te team getting a second-chance effort underneath the basket like this. But sometimes, when it happens, it’s a truly special moment. Could it be one that catapults Penn State onto a hot streak that books a ticket to the big dance?
The Bryce Jordan Center does have moments like this worth noting.
Remember a week ago when all the pseudo fans were calling for his head and for the program to be defunded? Welcome to the house that Shrews built. Basketball is alive and well at Penn State. Real ones know. @Coach_Shrews pic.twitter.com/B0ZGtL4FL9
— Erica (@millie2981) March 5, 2023
Nobody is going to confuse the Bryce Jordan Center for a basketball mecca, and the school will forever be more known for football than basketball, but here;’s hoping the program experiences more crowds and moments like these in the future. Because this is pretty fun!
What a difference a week makes, right?
After having their hearts ripped out a week ago. Penn State just bounced back to beat two very good basketball teams with big second half comebacks.
— Dear Old State (@_DearOldState) March 5, 2023
It was a week ago when Penn State blew a massive lead at home to Rutgers in what seemed like a tournament bubble-busting loss. But since that bad loss to Rutgers, Penn State went on the road to knock off Northwestern in overtime and then defended its home court against Maryland, two teams heading to the NCAA Tournament. That’s a good way to close out the regular season for sure, but now comes the question of what the Nittany Lions will do in the Big Ten tournament to help lock in their own tournament invite, should one be coming its way.
This picture tells you everything you need to know.
The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. (📸 Matthew O'Haren / @usatodaysports) pic.twitter.com/Q8GjdfeLqQ
— Nittany Lions Wire (@NittanyLionWire) March 5, 2023
The expressions of Penn State’s Camren Wynter and Maryland’s Hakim Hart sums up the closing moments as perfectly as anything possibly could. As Wynter reacts to his game-winning bucket coming through the hoop as he runs to his teammates to celebrate, Hart can do nothing else but cover his face with his hands in agony.
Sports can be both euphoric and demoralizing all at once, and it just matters what color your jersey is to determine which side of that emotion spectrum you land on.